i have heard that every mode has its own feeling or mood to it. i can't seem to figure out what each specific modes feeling is when i play through it. also can somebody explain how to choose a mode or scale for jamming along with a song that will sound good. most of the time when i try to jam along the scale i choose just doesn't sound right. Thanks for the help!

Picking the right scale for a tune is a lifelong process to learn. In general if it sounds majorish try Myxolidian, if minorish try Dorian. There will be exceptions but those are the two most important and will cover most of the GD.

Picking the right scale for a tune is a lifelong process to learn. In general if it sounds majorish try Myxolidian, if minorish try Dorian. There will be exceptions but those are the two most important and will cover most of the GD.

Not trying to pick too much, but I think you confused Aeolian and Ionian.

I usually divide the scales up by where the third is - there are three with a major third and three minor third and one with a minor third and a diminished 5th. I would suggest ignoring the Locrian as it's a half-diminished scale and isn't used much.

Major-ish scales:
Ionian - major scale, light and happy
Lydian - light but strange/trippy - this scale has a raised or augmented 4th. In the major scale the perfect 4th is one of the most consonant intervals. The augmented or raised 4th is one of the most dissonant. This gives the scale it's trippy character.
Mixolydian - light but bittersweet - this scale has a flatted or lowered 7th. It adds a touch of bluesy-ness to the scale. It is used in country blues and country/southern rock.

Aeolian - minor scale, sad and dark
Dorian - dark, strange/trippy - this is a cousin to the Lydian scale. This one also has the augmented or raised 4th and gives this dark scale a trippy feel. I use an E Dorian scale for Dark Star (A / G / chord progression).
Phrygian - this one is dark with kind of a Spanish feel. The scale has a flatted or lowered 2nd and adds dissonance to this minor-ish scale. It works well over songs with a minor chord and a major chord one fret apart (like an E Phrygian scale over an Em --> F chord progression. I don't consciously use this one much.

tcsned wrote:Dorian - dark, strange/trippy - this is a cousin to the Lydian scale. This one also has the augmented or raised 4th and gives this dark scale a trippy feel. I use an E Dorian scale for Dark Star (A / G / chord progression).

Dorian has a regular 4th, same as Major, Mixo, Minor, etc. Good way to tell: A raised 4th would mean that there's a jump of 1 1/2 steps between the 3rd and 4th and no mode of the major/minor scale has more than a full-step jump.

tcsned wrote:Dorian - dark, strange/trippy - this is a cousin to the Lydian scale. This one also has the augmented or raised 4th and gives this dark scale a trippy feel. I use an E Dorian scale for Dark Star (A / G / chord progression).

Dorian has a regular 4th, same as Major, Mixo, Minor, etc. Good way to tell: A raised 4th would mean that there's a jump of 1 1/2 steps between the 3rd and 4th and no mode of the major/minor scale has more than a full-step jump.

Duh! You're right, I was making the mistake of thinking w/o a guitar in my hand It's a flatted 6th not an augmented 4th. Which, in essence, creates an augmented 5th interval against the root which would still give a strange, unsettling feel. Any of those scales that mess with the 4 or 5 is gonna be a little trippy. Thanks for catching that Rusty!

tcsned wrote:
Duh! You're right, I was making the mistake of thinking w/o a guitar in my hand It's a flatted 6th not an augmented 4th. Which, in essence, creates an augmented 5th interval against the root which would still give a strange, unsettling feel. Any of those scales that mess with the 4 or 5 is gonna be a little trippy. Thanks for catching that Rusty!

Sorry... still not right! Dorian is minor with a raised 6th... you're describing the regular minor scale.

The nice thing about that raised 6th is the way it leads up by a half-step to the flatted 7th that Jerry was so fond of.

Worth every last penny. The scales are large and easy to read and shown across multiple positions on the neck. Best of all he give you three different ways to conceptualize modes from most easy: just play an E major scale over B, to more difficult: think of this as the 5th degree of this scale. It also includes an example chord progression you could play the mode over. There might even be a CD with jam tracks--can't recall.

Garcia primarily uses just 2 modes Dorian for the minor sounding stuff and mixolydian for major stuff. He also uses a chord approach using different scales etc. over different chords in the same progression. But as a rule of thumb the progression tells you what Mode to use In major stuff if the 7 is a b7 major then you are going to use Mixolydian ex. in the key of C if the Bb chord is in there it's most likely mixo. Also the Minor 5 chord is a tip you are in Mixo. For minor sounding stuff if the 4 chord is Major it's dorian. Also keep in mind this is not hard and fast you can go chord by chord in which case when you see any chord there are a number of options. Also you would be surprised how often Jerry uses plain old Major and Minor Pententonic.